Making delicious cold-brewed tea is as simple as ABC :D Essentially, it is to use cold tap water (instead of hot) to infuse the tea leaves (usually for a much longer time), and the taste is rather different!
I don’t remember how the idea of cold-brewed tea has emerged in TeeMaa. Since a couple of years ago, we started experimenting brewing different teas with cold water and have been loving it especially for hot summer days ever since!
I’d like to share with you some tips.
What teas are suitable for cold brewing?
Almost every tea is suitable. But there are many that are more favourable to my tastes. We created a category on our web store for those teas that we have tried and are delicious for cold brewing. Generally, brewing tea leaves in cold water will emphasise the light, sweet and soft tastes of tea, and largely decrease the bitterness and astringency, comparing to brewing in hot water.
Here are what we have found:
- Almost all East Asian green teas are good for cold brew, super refreshing and sweet.
- Jasmine teas are made for cold brewing.
- Most green oolong teas from Taiwan are delicious for cold brew, really sweet with hints of flowers.
- Some black teas are great for cold brewing.
- Many herbs are interesting to brew in cold water as well, for example, rooibos, honeybush, Ginger lemon fresh, and the smoky Dragon’s Nest.
If you find good ones, share with us!
How to cold brew tea?
Recipe 1 Cold brew loose leaf teas
1 g tea / 100 ml water ratio ( Later you can adjust it to your own taste. Use more leaves when you want a stronger taste and vice versa.)
1. Put tap water and tea to a container. (For example, glass jar with a lid or cover. So the odour in the fridge won’t affect the tea. Another tip is to use a disposable brewing bag, then the leaves will stay nicely in when pouring the ready tea.)
2. Put the jar into the fridge for at least 3 hours or overnight.
3. Enjoy!
Recipe 2 Cold-whisked matcha
1 tsp of matcha (around 1 g) / 200 ml of cold water
1. Stir the matcha well into the cold water and enjoy!
2. Recommend to use a bamboo whisk as it’s the best tool to break the lumps.
Recipe 3 Cold brewed hibiscus
Hibiscus infusion has vibrant red colour and citrus taste.
1 g tea hibiscus/ 100 ml cold water ratio, honey, optional: fresh mint leaves, berries, ice cubes
1. Brew tea hibiscus in cold water, for 3 hours or overnight in the fridge.
2. Add honey, mint leaves, berries and ice cubes to your liking.
3. Take a photo because it’s so pretty!
These cold-brewed teas are such summer delight for barbecue, picnic and hiking. ☀️
Text written by Xinyuan Sui